Philosophy

Our Hope for the future

THE SCHOLARS OF BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE are young men and women who live, study, and grow together to reach their full potential as unique individuals created and loved by God. Parents, house parents, BHGH staff, and the students themselves are committed to the spiritual, academic, social, and emotional growth of each scholar.

Rooted in the Jesuit tradition, Boys Hope Girls Hope intends to develop “men and women for others.” In their academic work, in their relationships with their families, in their lives at BHGH, and in their contributions to the community, the focus is on guiding BHGH scholars toward physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and cultural fulfillment in life.

At Boys Hope Girls Hope, groups of young people and adults join together in a shared, family-like setting. Solid, respectful relationships are at the heart of this enterprise. Our philosophy, titled “Our Hope for the Future,” provides a framework for fostering formal, ongoing reflection as well as the expectations for the individual development of each scholar.

Goal One

Developing an openness to personal growth

The Boys Hope Girls Hope community commits to developing openness to personal growth in each scholar by structuring opportunities for scholars to move toward achieving growth in their ability to: show respect for others; listen to others; appropriately express their feelings and opinions; manage their impulses; develop self-confidence; demonstrate self-discipline, responsibility and decision-making; recognize, develop and exercise leadership skills; seek new experiences that may involve the risk of failure; share the events of their day and set goals for the next.

Goal Two

Nurturing social awareness

The Boys Hope Girls Hope community commits to nurturing social awareness in each scholar and to engaging in activities related to justice by structuring opportunities for scholars to move toward achieving growth in their ability to: demonstrate a critical social consciousness that examines society and its values as well as issues facing our interdependent world; maintain attitudes of peace and behaviors of nonviolence; identify their own experiences of injustice, suffering, and pain and respond to these experiences with a growing ability to be reconciled within their own hearts as well as with others; participate as a group in effective action designed to help the poor and the marginalized; experience the satisfaction of giving themselves to help other people and thereby find themselves enriched as young women and men for others.

Goal Three

Creating a sense of community

The Boys Hope Girls Hope community commits to developing a strong sense of the value of community in each scholar by structuring opportunities for scholars to achieve growth in their ability to: demonstrate and exercise the skills needed to build community; gain increased understanding and appreciation of all people, and they recognize their own personal prejudices and stereotypes; communicate effectively with others, especially with peers of other races, religions, nationalities, and socio-economic backgrounds; demonstrate the ability to put themselves in another’s place and to understand what that person is feeling; develop sensitivity to the beauty of the created universe and become more caring about life and the natural environment.

Goal Four

Developing a spiritual life

The Boys Hope Girls Hope community commits to supporting scholars to develop a spiritual life rooted in a personal and active faith in God by structuring opportunities for scholars to move toward achieving growth in their ability to: develop their personal relationship with God, to others, and to the world and take responsibility for exploring and validating their own faith; understand the Christian foundation of Boys Hope Girls Hope and appreciate the example of Jesus Christ as the man for others; cooperate in promoting personal and communal prayer and reflection; affirm the belief that there is meaning in life and develop in themselves a sense of hope and trust; practice respect for the various religious traditions of the world; develop their consciences based on religious principles; they become capable of making moral choices and grow in the ability to reason through moral issues with increasing clarity; grow through their own failures and come to see their need, and the need of others, for healing and reconciliation with family, friends, Church, and God.

Goal Five

Fostering positive habits of body and mind

The Boys Hope Girls Hope community commits to fostering habits of body and mind in each scholar that encourage an appreciation for physical, intellectual, aesthetic, and analytical pursuits by structuring opportunities for scholars to move toward achieving growth in their ability to: demonstrate attitudes and actions that support a healthy life; work together to create an environment that inspires a love of learning; demonstrate aesthetic values and the creative use of the imagination, particularly in the way the activities they pursue together; utilize the variety of academic resources available that will help them to succeed academically; develop a mastery of logical skills and critical thinking; develop a personal voice and technical precision in thought and expression both written and oral; develop a curiosity to explore ideas and issues; demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge and skills to new situations and to adjust to a variety of learning formats; develop an organized approach to learning tasks; articulate a convincing argument in written and oral form; take pride and ownership in school accomplishments and begin to enjoy intellectual and aesthetic pursuits.